The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-05-14


came to Front Royal. At this point, and be-
tween him and Banks at StraSburg, lay
Col. Keny, with 400 Federal troops, IL
jackson could annhilate this force the con-
nection between the armies Of Banks and Nc
Dowell would be broken.
Accordingly. May %, he made fierce at
tack on Col. Keuly's little band at Front
Royal and cut it to pieces. This was the
third battle of the Shenandoah campaign.
There was nothing now between Stonewall
Jackson and Banks
Banks retreated with his small force yet
farther north He left Stiasburg and started
for Winchester
1t was now race and chase between
Banks and Jackson to the Potomac. If Jack
son paused till the forces of Fremont or Nc
Dowell could come up he would be cut to
pieces. He therefore determined to push on,
surround Banks if possible and destroy his
army before it could be REINFORCED. lie pur-
sued Banks holly, and once more the old town
Of Winchester became the scene Of a fight,
the fourth in the campaign. Banks kept back
for several hours the advancing Confederates.
This was May "A and %. But the southern
soldiers poured in in larger and larger num-
bers. There was nothing but to run for it.
From Winchester Banks retreated to
Martinsburg. He only waited here two
hours when he was up and away again. At
sunset. May %, Banks reached the Potomac
river at Wiiansport
To get on the Maryland side OF the river
was the next thing The broken army had
reiterated in confusion, leaving great quaint
ties of stores behind them. Jackson had lit
orally driven them into the Potomac. Into
the river they plunged. The ferry took across
the ammunition train, the cavalry swan
their horses, the wagon trains crossed by the
ford and the infantry were conveyed over by
means of pontoon bridge, which had been
brought down the valley from the upper
Shenandoah.
At last the remnant of Gen Banks broken
army was all across, just in time, for at that
moment Jackson appeared opposite on the
Virginia side of the Potomac.
"Never were more grateful hearts in the
same number of men than when at midday
on the 2Gth we stood on the opposite shore,
said Gen Banks ufterward,
Gen. Banks was so deeply chagrined at his
forced retreat that he is said to have shed
tears over it. He declared that he had been
sacrificed 10y his government, that had
stripped him of Shields division and then left
him to meet Stonewall jackson with less than
third the number of the Confederate
troops.
On May 81 jackson rested one day aud had
religious service performed in camp IN which
he gave thanks to God for the victory of the
southern arms. He had marched from his
camp south of Luray in three days distance
of sixty miles, and had fought two battles on
the way.
May ~ there was panic in Washington
when it became knowv that Banks was re-
treating to the Potomac with jackson after
him full tilt, Jackson's Shenandoah cam
paign probably prevented the capture of
Richmond 10y Mcclellan in the summer of
1862, Mcdowell was at Fredericksburg with
49, 900 men under orders to cooperate with
and finally Join Mcclellan before Richmond.
The defeat of Milroy and the chase Of Banks
down the Shenandoah shattered at one stroke
the plans in front of Richmond. President
Lincoln tclegraphed Mcdowell May "a to put
10000 men in motion for the Shenandoah
valley at once Mcdowell obeyed reluctantly.
He wrote the president: II have a heavy
heart in the matter feel that it throws US
all back, and from Richmond north we shall
have all our large masses paralyzed."
Jackson had driven Banks down and out OF
the Shenandoah valley and marched his army
almost into tho very teeth OF Washington.
But the now thoroughly aroused Union armies
were undoubtedly ~S1Rs
marching upon A[f! NfA
Ii i'm. McDowell's ~ XASNSM
force from the east, ~ S4M
Fremont's from the WS1J
west. How should S@ XSS5
he get out and back ExA
up the Shenandoah w %~
valleyi He had &C. S&A- AGS1
compished entirely EE&IZ
what he had &NIa1/ 5&&
planned to do. SxSSTE&
That was to give Ss4S.ey ssssskv HW
the Washington ptss2sgS3S' IA
authorities scare -'"'"&"
and prevent Nc MAJ GEN. J. C. FREMONT
lloweii from Inning Mcclellan before Rich